On this day, November 23, 1969, Spade Cooley died.

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Spade Cooley



Donnell Clyde Cooley (December 17, 1910 – November 23, 1969), better known as Spade Cooley, was an American Western swing musician, big band leader, actor, and television personality. His career ended in 1961 when he was arrested and convicted for the murder of his second wife, Ella Mae Evans.

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Music career

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Spade Cooley hung around Republic Pictures, ultimately sneaking onto a Gene Autry set. He was caught, but Autry noticed his resemblance to Roy Rogers and his talent for playing the fiddle and introduced him to Rogers. Cooley appeared in thirty-eight Western films, both in bit parts and as a stand-in and stuntman for cowboy actor Roy Rogers. In 1936, Rogers made Cooley the featured fiddle player and a vocalist in his group Riders of the Purple Sage. Billed as Spade Cooley and His Western Dance Gang, he was featured in the soundie Take Me Back To Tulsa released July 31, 1944, along with Williams and Carolina Cotton. Corrine, Corrina was released August 28, 1944 minus Cotton. The film short Spade Cooley: King of Western Swing was filmed in May 1945 and released September 1, 1945. It was followed by Melody Stampede released on November 8, 1945. Spade Cooley & His Orchestra came out in 1949. In 1950, Cooley had significant roles in several films.

In the summer of 1946, the Cooley band fragmented after the bandleader fired Williams, who had offers to record on his own. A number of key sidemen, including guitarist Johnny Weis, left with Williams, who formed the Western Caravan, which incorporated a sound similar to Cooley's. Williams had his hit recording of "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" in 1948. Cooley reconstituted his band with former Bob Wills sidemen, including steel guitarist Noel Boggs and the guitar ensemble of Jimmy Wyble and Cameron Hill. He also added full brass and reed sections to the band.

Beginning in June 1948, Cooley began hosting The Spade Cooley Show, a variety show on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, broadcast from the Santa Monica Ballroom, on the pier. The show won local Emmy awards in 1952 and 1953. Guests included Frankie Laine, Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore. The Spade Cooley Show was viewed coast-to-coast via the Paramount Television Network. KTLA eventually cancelled Cooley's program by 1956 and replaced it with a competing show brought over from KCOP, Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree.

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Western swing is just like glam -- you can never get too much of it. Here is Spade Cooley: King of Western Swing:

Spade Cooley - 1945 Short Film "King of Western Swing" (That's disputed)

radiobob805
19.3K subscribers

108,941 views Aug 12, 2009
The Boots and Saddle club had a contest to determine who was "The King of Western Swing" in the late 40s. The Bob Wills Band and the Spade Cooley band competed...and Spade won. But it was just a local group that did it in Hollywood. Needless to say, Bob Wills is THE king of western swing, and my hero.

This is surely the only video ever made that has a harp, a lap steel guitar, and two of the Three Stooges. Look for them at 1:40. That's Joaquin Murphey on the lap steel guitar. I'm glad I finally added that tidbit.

Spade Cooley - "Miss Molly"

Guy Cundell
329 subscribers

356,203 views Apr 11, 2009
Spade Cooley's band with vocal by Tex Williams and with steel guitarist Joaquin Murphey

Thu Nov 23, 2023: On this day, November 23, 1969, Spade Cooley died.

Wed Nov 23, 2022: On this day, November 23, 1969, Spade Cooley died.

Mon Dec 17, 2018: Today's birthday boy, the "King of Western Swing," Spade Cooley

Fri Nov 23, 2018: Notable deaths: November 23, 1969, Spade Cooley. November 19, 1983, Tom Evans, of Badfinger